The Osaka Hikari-Renaissance lights festival was established in 2003 in the Nakanoshima Park and since then it grew more spectacular every year. The number of visitors grew from 500,000 in 2003 to 1 million during the 5th festival, while the surface illuminated was enlarged in 2009 with the Mido-suji Illumination, a 1.2 kilometers corridor of light which was again expanded in 2011, becoming the longest illumination in Japan: 1.9 kilometers.

Last year, at the 10th anniversary, full-scale 3D mapping displays were added at the Nakanoshima Library and Osaka City Public Central Hall - the one in my today’s photo. This year’s theme is “A Dance of Light: The Tale of Minerva and Mercury", based on the statues on top of the building, representing Minerva and Mercury.